User account menu

Main navigation

Breadcrumb

The 9 Best Walt Disney World Rides to Visit First Thing in the Morning

Friday, July 25, 2014 - 10:18

Planning out your day at Walt Disney World is a lot easier thanks to the park’s new FastPass+ system that lets you reserve up to three FastPasses at a time in advance. However, this still leaves visitors with the question of what to do in between their reserved times to make the most of the day.

This article covers the best early morning attractions for guests to hit before the real crowds descend on the park!

1. Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

As the newest Disney attraction, it’s no surprise that the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train regularly boasts one of if not the longest wait time in the park. If you want to check out this roller coaster without a FastPass+ reservation and without waiting an hour or more in line, your best bet is to rush there first thing in the morning. Since the coaster is at the back of the park, some of the crowds may thin out along the way as guests are distracted by other areas of the park. Resist the temptation to jump into other short lines that you pass along the way. Those will last a lot longer than the lull for the Mine Train does.

2. Magic Kingdom: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad can boast long waits in the afternoon, but lines often stay short till mid-morning. This is another great pick if you’re in the park as soon as it opens. Since this attraction doesn’t have the shiny new appeal of the Mine Train, however, you can hit it up any time during the first few hours of the day.

3. Magic Kingdom: Space Mountain

Image: Disney

Space Mountain is a perpetual favorite in the Magic Kingdom. It also has the distinct advantage of being an indoor attraction. If there’s an early thunderstorm during your visit, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will both be closed. Space Mountain, however, will continue to operate. Head here first thing to take advantage of shorter lines before they have a chance to get long. During busy seasons, lines of an hour or more are not uncommon for this attraction.

4. Epcot: Soarin'

Make Soarin' your first stop in Epcot and you can enjoy a relative walk-on. Jump in line even if the posted wait time is longer. On a few recent visits, we waited less than ten minutes, though the posted time was nearly half an hour. Later in the day, Soarin’s wait time is around an hour, if not longer.

4. Epcot: Test Track

Image: Disney

Test Track is another great early morning option that has long waits later in the morning, once the park starts to fill up. Drop in early if you don’t have a FastPass+ reservation to enjoy the shortest wait. Keep in mind, however, that Test Track does have an outdoor track, so it will close if there’s lightning in the vicinity.

5. Disney's Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Mania

Image: Disney

Toy Story Mania almost always boasts the longest wait time in all of Hollywood Studios. Located toward the back of the park, you can get a little bit of an advantage if you head straight to this attraction first thing in the morning, but you won’t be the only one to have this idea.

If you want to ride without a FastPass+ reservation, get in line as soon as you can no matter what the posted wait time is. This line only gets longer as the day goes on. It’s one of the rare attractions in this park without a height limit, and doesn’t close as early as the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure or Studio Backlot Tour. Do keep in mind that this attraction will close early over the summer for the Frozen Fireworks – just one more reason to hit it up early on.

Pagination

I'm a full time freelance writer and former resident of Orlando, Florida. In the early 2000's I did two stints as a Disney CP, then joined the full-time ranks of Disney Cast Members. During my time at Disney I worked in all four theme parks at least once. Today I enjoy traveling around the country, experiencing and writing about all manner of destinations, both theme parks and beyond.